DECATUR COUNTY, GA — The Element Bainbridge Riverfront Hotel is now open, and local leaders and business owners say it could bring a significant boost for them and the city.
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The Chamber of Commerce hopes visitors staying at the hotel will also spend time downtown — eating at local restaurants, shopping at local businesses, and taking part in community events.
Karen Tobin, executive director of the Bainbridge Decatur County Chamber of Commerce, says new development like this can change the way people view the city.
"We have folks that come in because they now think of Bainbridge as a destination because of everything that has gone on," Tobin said.
Local businesses say they have noticed that growing interest firsthand, especially in the downtown area.
Gallagher Dempsey, the general manager of Southern Philosophy Brewing Company in downtown Bainbridge, says the new hotel could help support that momentum as more people visit the area.
"It means more jobs, for one. For two, you know, contribution to the economy — whether it's revenue or taxes, dollars going back into the community," Dempsey said.
According to the Bainbridge Convention and Visitors' Bureau, visitors brought about $55 million to Bainbridge and Decatur County in 2022, with hotels making up a large part of that spending.
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